31 December 2012

This 17th annual review discusses seven fatal airline crashes and three other significant events from 2012. The seven fatal airline crashes from 2012 equals 2008 as the year with the fewest fatal passenger events since AirSafe.com was launched in 1996. All but one of these seven events, a fatal crash last week in Canada that killed one passenger, occurred outside of North America and western Europe.

In addition to the seven airline crashes, there were five other significant crashes that did not kill an airline passenger, though four of these events involved airliners, and all five involved at least one fatality.

Among the 12 events from 2012, some of the more noteworthy included the following:

The death of a lap child in a crash were all other passengers and crew survived

A foiled hijacking attempt in China

A crashed that killed the entertainer Jenni Rivera.

Five crashes with no survivors

Crashes Killing Airline Passengers

2 April 2012; UTair ATR 72-200; VP-BYZ;flight 120; Tyumen, Russia: The aircraft was on scheduled domestic flight from Tyumen to Surgut, Russia. The airplane crashed broke up, and caught fire in a field about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) form the end of the departure runway.
All four crew members and 27 of the 39 passengers were killed. This is the second fatal passenger jet crash involving this airline. The first was a 17 March 2007 crash of a UTair Tupolev Tu134A in Samara, Russia that killed six passengers.
Fatal crashes of airlines of Russia and the former Soviet Union

20 April 2012; Bhoja Airlines; 737-200; AP-BKC; flight B4 213; Islamabad, Pakistan:
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan, and crashed in a residential area near the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all six crew members and 121 passengers were killed.
Among those killed were several children and one newlywed couple. This was the airline's inaugural flight on this route.

14 May 2012; Agni Air; Dornier 228-200; 9N-AIG; near Marpha, Nepal:
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Pokhara to Jomson, Nepal, and crashed into the side of a mountain near Marpha, Nepal.
Shortly before the crash, the crew had turned back toward Pokhara because of weather conditions at Jomson.
Two of the three crew members and 13 of the 18 passengers were killed.

3 June 2012; Dana Air; MD83; 5N-RAM; flight 992; Lagos, Nigeria: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria, and crashed in a residential area near the airport.
The plane reportedly struck a power line and then crashed into at least one apartment building.
The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash, and all seven crew members and 146 passengers were killed. At least 10 people on the ground were killed as well.

28 September 2012; Sita Air Dornier 228;-200; 9N-AHA; Flight 601; Kathmandu, Nepal:
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal, and crashed shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft reportedly struck a vulture about 50 feet off the ground. The bird hit the right engine, and the plane crashed while the crew was attempting to returen to the airport.
All three crew members and 16 passengers were killed.
Fatal Dornier crashes

22 December 2012; Kivalliq Air Fairchild Metro 3; C-GFWX; Flight 671; Sanikiluaq, Canada:
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Canada, and crashed just short of the runway during a second landing attempt. There was limited visibility due to darkness and blowing snow at the time of the crash.
Both crew members survived, but one of the seven passengers, a six-month-old boy being held in his mother's lap, was killed.

25 December 2012; Air Bagan Fokker 100; XY-AGC; Flight 011; Heho, Myanmar:
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Mandalay to Heho, Myanmar, hit a set of power lines during a landing attempt, and crashed about a kilometer short of the runway.
There was fog in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the crash.
The aircraft broke up and there was a post-crash fire. All six crew members survived, but one of the 65 passengers was killed. A person on the ground was also killed.
Fatal Fokker 100 crashesAviation Herald article on crash

Other Significant Events

9 May 2012; Sukhoi Superjet 100; near Jakarta, Indonesia:
The aircraft was on an unscheduled demonstration flight that had departed from Jakarta, Indonesia. After departure, the crew circled nearby Mt.
Salak, and began a descent from 10,000 feet to 6,000. The aircraft crashed into the side of the mountain at about 5,100 feet. There were no survivors.
Among the 37 passengers were members of the media and representatives from a number of Indonesian airlines.

This aircraft type had entered commercial airline service the previous month, and the manufacturer Sukhoi had been taking the accident aircraft on a promotional tour through a number of countries in Asia. This was a demonstration flight that had invited guests as passengers, rather than a flight that was available to the public, so it is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com

2 June 2012; Allied Air; 727-200; 5N-BJN; flight 111; Accra, Ghana: The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Accra, Ghana, and overran the runway after landing.
The aircraft struck a minivan on a nearby road, killing all 10 of the occupants. None of the four crew members were killed.

29 June 2012; Tianjin Airlines; Embraer ERJ 190; B-3171; flight 7554; en route Hotan to Urumqi, China:
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Hotan to Urumqi, China, when three hijackers attempted to take over the aircraft.
The hijackers reportedly carried explosives and attempted to break into the cockpit.
The hijackers were subdued by passengers and crew members, and the aircraft returned to Hotan.
Two of the three hijackers later died of injuries received during a fight with the crew and passengers. None of the the nine crew members or the 89 passengers were killed.
Because only hijackers were killed, this crash was not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

9 December 2012; Starwood Management; Learjet 25; N345MC; near Iturbide, Mexico:
A chartered private jet carrying the singer and entertainer Jenni Rivera crashed near Iturbide, Mexico while en route on a domestic flight from Monterrey, Mexico to the Toluca, Mexico airport near Mexico City.
Both pilots and all five passengers, including Rivera, were killed in the crash. The Learjet was cruising at about 28,000 feet and entered into a high speed descent, crashing in mountainous terrain.
Because this was not an aircraft normally used in passenger airline service, this crash was not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

29 December 2012; Red Wings Airlines; Tupolev 204-100; RA-64047; flight 9268; Moscow, Russia:
The aircraft was on an unscheduled repositioning flight from Pardubice, Czech Republic to Moscow, Russia. After touching down, the aircraft overran the runway, and collided with an embankment next to a highway, causing the aircraft to break up.
While various pieces of aircraft wreckage struck cars on the adjacent highway, no one on the ground was killed (See video below).

Five of the eight crew members were killed. It had been snowing prior to the crash, and there was a significant crosswind at the time of the landing.
Because there were no passengers on the aircraft, this crash was not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

AirSafe.com BonusesAll subscribers to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com will be able to download free copies of all of the recent AirSafe.com books, including the latest, AirSafe.com Family Air Travel Guide.

27 December 2012

After having no fatal crashes involving passengers in nearly three months, there have been two fatal crashes in the last week.

22 December 2012; Kivalliq Air Fairchild Metro 3; C-GFWX; Flight 671; Sanikiluaq, Canada: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Canada, and crashed just short of the runway during a second landing attempt. There was limited visibility due to darkness and blowing snow at the time of the crash. Both crew members survived, but one of the seven passengers, a six-month-old boy being held in his mother's lap, was killed.

This crash highlights an ongoing risk as safety issue, whether parents should use a car seat or other approved child restraint system rather than fly with a lap child. The most recent book by Dr. Todd Curtis, AirSafe.com Family Air Travel Guide, discusses this issue in great detail, and also provides extensive advice on ways parents can reduce or eliminate many of the problems families face when they fly.

The book will be available later this week, and all subscribers to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com will be able to download a free version of this book, as well as other recent AirSafe.com book.

25 December 2012; Air Bagan Fokker 100; XY-AGC; Flight 011; Heho, Burma (Myanmar):
The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Mandalay to Heho, Myanmar, hit a set of power lines during a landing attempt, and crashed about a kilometer short of the runway.
There was fog in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the crash.
The aircraft broke up and there was a post-crash fire. All six crew members survived, but one of the 65 passengers was killed. A person on the ground was also killed.
Fatal Fokker 100 crashesAviation Herald article on crashRelated resourcesRecent plane crashesPlane crashes of 2012

18 December 2012

Every year, the TSA provides a number of holiday tips for travelers, and this year there are a number of recent changes that will be of particular interest to families traveling with either young children or older relatives.

Shoe removal for younger and older passengersChildren who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older are no longer required to routinely remove their shoes. However, shoe removal may be required if a passenger is selected for additional screening.

Revised screening procedures for younger and older passengersThe TSA has made unspecified modifications to screening procedures for children who are 12 or younger, and adults who are 75 or older. These changes will reduce, but not eliminate, the pat-downs that happen after a passenger causes an alarm with the metal detectors or full-body scanners used by the TSA.

Some snow globes are now allowedFor quite some time, all snow globes were banned from the passenger cabin and from carry-on baggage. The TSA has relaxed those rules, allowing snow globes containing less than 3.4 ounces (100 ml) of liquid in your carry-on bags. Snow globes typically don't come with volume indicators, and the TSA suggests that globes up to about the size of a tennis ball will be acceptable.

TSA number for passengers with special needsTravelers with questions about screening policies can call TSA Cares at 1-855-787-2227 to have their questions answered about what to expect at the security checkpoint. If you or someone who is traveling with you has a disability or medical condition that may cause a problem during screening, a TSA Cares a representative will answer your questions and can also provide assistance that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition.

How to fly with giftsSome TSA regulations have not changed. The TSA has to be able to inspect any gift or package, whether in checked or carry-on bags, so if you have any gifts in your luggage, you should either wrap them after your arrival, or wrap them in such a way that they can be easily opened and inspected.

AirSafe.com Travel BooksAirSafe.com has published a number of guides filled with air travel advice, including a guide on baggage and security, and another on how to make complaints. If you subscribe to the AirSafe.com mailing list at subscribe.airsafe.com, you can download free PDF versions of these books, as well as buy ebook versions of the guides. If you sign up today, you will be notified when the newest guide for traveling with families comes out later this month.

10 December 2012

Normally, the articles on this site have some kind of connection to aviation. This aricle will be a notable exception.

Calvin Curtis, father of AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis, will be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the US Congress for distinguished achievement.

The medal was awarded to the Montford Point Marines in recognition of "their personal sacrifice and service to their country" as the first African-American Marines. Past recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal have included the Tuskegee Airmen; Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King; the Navaho Code Talkers, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, and Gen. Colin Powell.

There were originally over 20,000 Montford Point Marines, and perhaps fewer than 500 remain alive today. Many of the surviving Montford Point Marines were honored in a group ceremony last summer in Washington, DC. Other Montford Point veterans have been honored by Marine units in local ceremonies around the country.

The ceremony for Calvin Curtis will be held at 11 am on December 11, 2012, at the Naval Operational Support Center, located at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The public is invited to attend, and AirSafe.com encourages anyone in the San Antonio area to do so. The links below provide directions to the event, as well as details about the ceremony.

08 December 2012

If you fly long enough, you will experience an airline flight that is far from perfect, so bad that you not only want to complain to the airline, but to also share your experience with the world. While all airlines get complaints, few airlines have had as many complaints as United Airlines. Years before their merger with Continental, a merger which many believe led to a significant drop in the quality and consistency of the customer experience, United was one of the leading airlines for complaints. In fact, there were so many complaints that since 1997, the web site Untied.com (untied as in shoelaces) has exclusively featured complaints about United.

The site is unusual in that it has been up for over 15 years, and has kept a laser-like focus on the problems at United. The site has been supported almost entirely by the efforts of its creator Jeremy Cooperstock, an engineering professor at McGill University in Montreal, who also has his own story to tell about how United Airlines has treated him. However, the unique resource that Jeremy has created is at risk of being destroyed.

Lawsuits against Untied.comTwo recent lawsuits allege, among other things, that the site violates the airline's copyright and trademarks because it looks like the United Airlines website. The airline claims that it isn't trying to stop airline complaints from being publicized, but rather that they are trying to protect the airline' customers because they may confuse Coopperstock's site with the airline's site. Jeremy has a different interpretation, that the airline's suit is without merit, and that their goal goal is to put a strain on his time and money and to encourage him to shut down the site.

How to Help Untied.comJeremy has started a legal defense fund for his site at http://www.untied.com/SLAPP. AirSafe.com encourages you to donate what you can to help Jeremy keep his site alive. You can also help by visiting untied.com and sharing any complaints you may have about United, or their merger partner Continental.